Assembly sends $22-million rec bond to voters

PALMER — Voters will have a chance to approve or reject a $22-million recreation bond to repair and upgrade two local swimming pools, an ice arena, and numerous other projects.

Mat-Su Borough Assembly members voted 5-1 Tuesday to put the bond on the Oct. 4 ballot, with assemblyman George McKee casting the lone dissenting vote.

McKee challenged cost estimates provided by borough officials, and repeatedly asked recreation manager Hugh Leslie to stake his reputation on the provided cost estimates.

“This is not renovation,” he said. “If you read it, it is total demolition of the two pools, leaving the four walls and the roof intact, total demolition and the construction of a six-lane Olympic diving swimming pool. It is not renovation.”

In the event that the estimates were low, officials would have to seek funding from other sources, like state legislators under less-than favorable circumstances, McKee said.

“Before, when you put up bond packages and you didn’t have the money to finish ‘em, we went to Uncle Sugar down in Juneau and they ponied up the money so we could finish ‘em,” he said. “Uncle Sugar’s out of money.”

The bond consists of $12.8 million to install six-lane competition pools in the Palmer and Wasilla community pools, which adjoin the high schools in their respective cities. Other repairs would include renovating the surfaces in either pool, replacing locker rooms, adding leisure pools to either facility, and mechanical and electrical repairs.

Pool supporters, like Heather Snelders, officials chair with Alaska Swimming, said losing the pools because of a possible maintenance issue would hurt swimmers.

Maintenance and upkeep would protect the past investment, Snelders said.

“I think it is important that we as voters will have the opportunity to say yea or nay,” she said. “I know that times are tough right now, but we have put the money in the past into these, and they’re kind of a legacy and why would we let them go to the wayside and become something like Detroit where we’re just a horrible place that use to be great?”

The bond includes about $3.6 million to replace the refrigeration system at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena, as well as ventilation systems and replacing the floor.

Mark Masteller, who participates in a hockey club that has used the Brett Arena for 20 years, said recreational assets generally were essential.

“These assets are used by lots and lots of people and they’re a tremendous asset to our borough,” he said. “I would encourage you to let this get to the voters on the ballot.”

The bond includes $2.3 million in planned improvements to the Ridge Trail Wasilla Creek Headwaters Trail, Menard Sports Complex Trail System, Plumley-Maud trail system, the Matanuska Riverfront trail system in Matanuska River park, trails to connect Brasil Springs, which feed into a wetlands and Walby Lake off of Palmer Fishhook, into the Crevasse Moraine trail system, the Haessler-Norris Trail System in between Willow and Houston, and the Herning Trail.

Voters could also approve $1.5 million to install lighting and bleachers for the Talkeetna and Willow Outdoor Ice Rinks and about $1.3 million for trail bridges over Fish Creek and Groomers Gully, plus about $675,000 for repairs in other parts of the borough.

In other business, borough officials voted 5-1 to approve a $5.7 million certificate of participation for the construction of a fire station at the present location of fire station 7-3 along Spring Street in the Meadow Lakes Community. McKee cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the facility was unnecessary. The proposed facility would serve as the administrative headquarters of the West Lakes Fire Department and the center of fleet services for borough emergency services. A certificate of participation is a municipal funding instrument

Assembly members unanimously approved a second vote on a $5 million fund on for an updated training facility at station 6-2, near the intersection of Knik-Goose Bay and Vine roads.

The borough assembly also unanimously appropriated $150,000 for the potential relocation of the Veterans’ Wall of Honor Monument. Assembly members gave the Wall of Honor Foundation — a non-profit corporation with board members from local veterans groups — and the owner of the property ten years to use the funds before they would revert back to the general fund.